PDN - July 2012

PDNEWS

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as possible because that reduces the cost per page,”
says Klotzek. “So I needed a very good photographer
because … you have to start with being impressed by
the pictures and then you’ll read a story on Africa.”
Obert suggested Danish photojournalist Jan
Grarup, who has been working in Somalia for the
past two years on his series “Caught Between War
and Famine.”
“The bigger story is that you have all these people
who are caught up between the war and the clans and
the famine and Al-Shabab all at once,” says Grarup.
“But along the way came this story about the mayor
who’s trying to do whatever is best within the borders
of Mogadishu, and that’s what we are trying to cover
within this piece.”
In February 2012 the two journalists spent ten days
with Nur in Mogadishu. After their arrival, they were
with a group of journalists meeting the mayor and
ended up being the only two not wearing any protec-
tive gear. Despite the almost daily terrorism attacks
by Al-Shabab, “[Nur] gets very offended if you meet
him with a flak jacket or a bulletproof vest,” Grarup ex-
plains. “He says, ‘Why are you wearing this? This is a
safe, secure place.’” Grarup knew this about the mayor
prior to the trip and asked Obert if he would be com-
fortable not wearing a flak jacket.

Grarup says they were given full access to Nur, and that he found the mayor’s story very inspiring. Nur is an orphan and Somali refugee who was living a comfortable life in London before he relocated his family to Mogadishu. Grarup ended up photographing the mayor at home as well as at a variety of official functions, including a music festival, which was part of Nur’s initiative to hold more public festivals and ceremonies in the city. He also photographed the different ways citizens have learned to cope with violence and famine.

The article included images Grarup made on his
December 2011 trip to Mogadishu as well. It was during
that trip, which was in co-operation with UNICEF, that
Grarup figured out how to work in the city. He says it
is similar to working in Baghdad, due to the car bomb
explosions and shootings that take place every day.